Brexit allies fall out in fierce battle to succeed Cameron

London / AFP

Brexit campaigner Michael Gove announced a surprise bid on Thursday to become Britain’s next prime minister, in a blow for his close ally Boris Johnson’s chances, as turmoil gripped both the country’s main political parties after the shock vote to leave the EU.
The race for the leadership of the governing Conservative Party kicked off as impatient EU leaders were pressuring Britain to speed up its withdrawal from the bloc.
Justice minister Gove, who campaigned alongside Johnson in Britain’s momentous vote last week to leave the EU, said the former London mayor “cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead”. The announcement could boost the chances of Interior Minister Theresa May, a low-key supporter of remaining in the European Union who also announced her candidacy Thursday.
“Following last week’s referendum, our country needs strong, proven leadership to steer us through this period of economic and political uncertainty, and to negotiate the best possible terms as we leave the European Union,” she wrote in The Times newspaper.
Cameron announced his resignation within hours of last Thursday’s vote and said it should be up to his successor to launch exit negotiations with the EU.
A new leader is set to be voted in by Conservative Party members by September 9 at the latest but European leaders have pressed for a quicker timetable, warning against a prolonged period of uncertainty over Britain’s EU future. Conservative members, who will eventually decide the winner, favour May by a margin of 37 percent to 27 percent, according to a YouGov poll published Thursday.
Challengers have until 1100 GMT to declare. Work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb announced his candidacy Wednesday, while right-wing former defence minister Liam Fox is also expected to run.

‘Everything on the table’
The Brexit vote has sent the pound plunging and prompted economists to slash their growth forecasts for the one of the world’s biggest economies.
US President Barack Obama warned Wednesday that Brexit raised “longer-term concerns about global growth”. One of Singapore’s largest lenders, UOB, on Thursday said it had suspended its loan programme for London properties over the uncertainty.
However, London’s FTSE 100 has staged a strong recovery over the last 48 hours, closing higher on Wednesday than before the June 23 referendum. The result has exposed deep divisions in the United Kingdom and triggered anger among those who wanted to remain in the EU, many of whom believe “Leave” voters were misled and that a second referendum is needed.
However, 58 percent of Britons believe the result should stand against 31 percent who think the vote should be re-run, according to a YouGov poll.
European leaders, keen not to encourage burgeoning anti-EU movements across the continent, have warned that Britain will not be able to pick and choose the cosiest terms of divorce.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that Britain would have to accept free movement of people within the bloc if it wanted access to the free market, but French Finance Minister Michel Sapin told the BBC that “everything will be on the table” when negotiations begin.

‘Civil war’
Britain’s main opposition Labour party has also been thrown into turmoil by the vote, as lawmakers moved in its aftermath to oust left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn in a slow-motion revolt.
Senior lawmaker Angela Eagle is expected to announce on Thursday a leadership challenge to Corbyn, who has refused to resign despite losing a confidence vote by MPs.

Johnson says won’t run for PM

London / AFP

Top Brexit campaigner and former London mayor Boris Johnson said in a shock announcement on Thursday he will not run in the race to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron.
“Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament, I’ve concluded that person cannot be me,” he said after his eurosceptic ally Michael Gove undermined his chances by launching his own leadership bid.
Interior Minister Theresa May, who also announce she was running, is now the clear favourite as a unifying candidate after a referendum campaign that exposed deep rifts within the Conservative Party. “My role will be to give every possible support to the next Conservative administration,” Johnson said in a speech in London in which he had been widely expected to announce his bid for Cameron’s job.
Johnson said the vote was “a chance to unite our country and our society”, adding: “It is vital that we bring everyone together within the party”.
“This is our chance to restore Britain’s standing as an independent, sovereign and self-governing nation,” he said, calling also for a “points-based immigration system” like the one in place in
Australia.